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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Media Studies > Representation of British Asians

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• They first appeared in the 80’s, when they started making more money within the country. They appeared in soaps first, then gradually started appearing in British film

• British Asians were rarely seen in dramas

• They were underrepresented for years until “Goodness gracious me” in the mid 90’s, when Asian culture became popular.

• More Asian characters emerged as main characters –“Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee”, “Bend it Like Beckham”, “East is East” and “Bride and prejudice”

• Bollywood became very main stream five years ago due to Selfridge’s promotion by making it commercial.

• A breakthrough that showed ethnic comedy was C4’s ,“Desmonds” first aired in 1989.

• In the 60’s white people would “black up” their faces to represent Asians and Black people.

East is East

• A film about a Pakistani father filled with pride, hypocrisy and depth, who has raised his children in England with an English mother, yet wants them to be as true to his heritage as he thinks he is.

• Pakistani religion, customs and their beliefs are exposed, making it interesting. It’s a raucous comedy that explores culture clashes.

• It could be argued that the “public embarrassment” scene alienated the audience, as it was hard to sense the humiliation that would have made it funny.

• Some of the indignities suffered by his children are inconceivable, partly due to the freedom some people have of religion.

• Parental influence that has a great emotional weight can be related to, however some of the legalities of some of the activities in the film are shocking here.

Second Generation

• A Hindu girl is engaged to a white man and is practically ostracized by her family; she finds it virtually impossible to have normality in her life because of the thought of disapproval of her father.

• There has been a recent flood of movies that have tried to follow Bollywood’s popularity (Bend it Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice) which don’t capture the cultural complexities or offer huge revelations about Indian families.

• It does not hold back in portraying the pain and struggles found in immigrant South Asian families living in the West.

• Parminda Nagra who plays the same role as the daughter in this film, which she played in “Bend it Like Beckham” is much more feisty character in this film.

• This film is touching and poignant aimed truly at those who are the second generation.

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